Drupe pitting machine



1964 .1. M. HAIT 3,156,275

DRUPE FITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 15, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 TI I3 1 INVENTOR JAMES M. HAIT BY /W- ATTORNEY Nov. 10, 1964 J. M. HAIT 3,156,275

DRUPE PITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 13 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN'I'OR JAMES M. HAIT ATTORNEY 4 United States Patent "ice 3,156,275 DRUPE PITTING MACHINE James M. Halt, San Jose, Calif, assigaior to FMC Corporation, San Jose, Califrl, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 159,089 7 Claims. (Ci. hid-28) This invention relates to fruit processing equipment and more particularly relates to apparatus for twisting the halves of drupes such as peaches free of their pits.

In twist pitting machines, opposed blades are provided for bisecting the peach and gripping the pit. While the pit is held in position, twisting heads engage the peach halves and twist them from the pit. In the machine of the present invention the peach halves are presented to the twisting heads merely by oscillating the blades.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved pitting machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus for twisting bisected flesh halves of drupes from their associated pits that is simple and compact.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the type described that has two sequentially functioning twisting stations, and which does not require mechanical shifting of the twisting heads.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan of the pitting machine of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken on lines 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken on lines 3-3 of FIG. 2 showing a pawl and ratchet assembly for indexing a blade opening cam.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on lines 44 of FIG. 2 showing the blade oscillating cam.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic plan illustrating the operation of the pitting machine shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic plan of a modified pitting machine.

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic plan of another modified pitting machine.

Referring to FIG. 1 and to the diagram of FIG. 5, the pitting machine 10 of the present invention comprises a pair of pit-gripping blades 12 that are loaded with whole fruit, such as peaches, at a loading station A, while the blades are open. The blades are then swung counterclockwise (FIG. I) about axis 13 through 90 from the loading station A to a first twisting station B, for removal of one-half of the peach by a twisting head 14, the fruit half dropping into a bin 15. The blades are closed to bisect the flesh of the fruit and grip the pit as they move from the loading station A to the twisting station B. After the first peach half has been removed at station B, the blades are swung clockwise through 180 from station B to a second twisting station C, where the other half of the fruit is removed from the pit by a twisting head 16, the fruit half also dropping into bin 15. After the peach half has been removed at station C, the blades are returned counterclockwise through 90 to the loading station A, and during the return movement the blades are opened to release the pit, which drops into a bin 17.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the machine It) is driven M56275 Patented Nov. 10, 1964 by a motor 20 having a drive shaft 22 that mounts a plate cam 24 for providing the oscillating or swinging action of the blades about axis 13. As seen in FIG. 4, the cam 24 is formed with a cam track 25, and as viewed in FIG. 4, the cam is continuously rotated in a clockwise direction. mounted on an extension 23 of a rack 30. Guide means, which are omitted for clarity, confine the rack so that it reciprocates vertically. As seen in FIGS. 2 and 4 the rack 3%) drives a pinion 32, and as seen in FIG. 2, pinion 32 turns a stub shaft 33 and a miter gear 34. Miter gear 34 drives a miter gear 35 fastened to the lower end of a vertical sleeve 36 that mounts the blades. Sleeve 36 turns on a vertical post 37 that is rotatably supported on a platform 38 by means to be described presently. The lower end of sleeve 36 rests on a collar 39 secured to the post 37. In order to support the blades 12 on sleeve 36, a platform 45 is fastened to the upper end of the sleeve by a collar 41. Mounted on the platform 40 is a pedestral 42 which supports the blade mechanism.

The manner in which the cam 24 swings the platform 49 and the blades from side to side will now be explained. Referring to FIG. 4, the cam track 25 is divided into six sections. A dwell section 25:: maintains the pit-gripping unit at station A for loading. After the dwell section 25a clears the follower roller 26, a ramp section 2512 lowers rack 30 and, through the gear train previously described, swings the blades to the first twisting station B. There follows a second dwell section 250 which maintains the blades at station B for removal of the first fruit half. Dwell section 25c is followed by a second ramp section 25d which raises rack 30 and swings the blades from station B through an arc of to the second twisting station C. A third dwell section 252 maintains the blades at station C for removal of the second fruit half. The cycle is completed by a third ramp section 25 which returns the blades through an arc of 90 from station C to loading station A.

The blade mechanism 12 comprises a pair of coplanar pit gripping blades that are opened and closed in the manner shown in the patent to Wilbur No. 2,954,063. For details of the blades and their opening and closing mechanism, reference should be had to that patent. Briefly, blades 43 and 44 (FIGS. 1 and 2) are respectively mounted on pivot shafts 45 and 46 extending through syaced cars 47 and 48. The cars project from a mounting black 49 that is integral with the pedestal 42 on the platform 4%. In order to close the blades, cross bars 549 and 51 are mounted on the blades 43 and 44 respectively, and serve as seats for a pair of compression springs 52 (FIG. 2). The forward ends of the blades are sharpened at 53, 54 and the blades are recessed and sharpened at 53a, 54a to grip the pit of the fruit.

As described in the aforesaid Wilbur patent, in order to open the blades, rocker arms (not shown) extend from each blade toward the center of the support block 49, where both rocker arms are engaged by a push rod 55 (FIGS. 1 and 2) that is slidably mounted in the block 49. Push rod 55 is controlled by the blade operating mechanism, a description of which follows.

A blade operating mechanism is provided for closing the blades as they swing 90 from the loading station to the first twisting station, and for opening the blades as they return from the second twisting station to the loading station, to release the pit of the fruit and ready the blades The track 25 receives a cam follower roller 26 for receiving another fruit. The blade operating mechanism is constructed so that it does not open the blades as they swing 180 from the first twisting station B to the second twisting station C.

The blade operating mechanism includes a cam 56 (FIGS. 1 and 2) secured to the upper end of vertical post 37 by means of a collar 57 (FIG. 2). The cam has diametrically opposed lobes 56a and 56b and symmetrical circular dwell portions 56:, for engaging the blade opening push rod 55 previously described. In order that the blade operating cam 56 can be indexed for purposes to be described, post 37 is rotatably mounted on platform 38 by means of a bearing sleeve 58 (FIG. 2), and a friction disc 59 is secured to post 37 and engages the upper face of bearing sleeve 53 to provide frictional restraint to rotation of the post.

In order to keep the blades closed as they swing 180 from the first to the second twisting station, the blade opening cam 56 is indexed to turn with the platform 49 during such motion. This indexing of the cam 56 is provided by a pawl and ratchet assembly seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. A ratchet wheel 60 is secured to post 37 by a collar 62, and the ratchet wheel is notched to form diametrically opposed ratchet teeth 60a and 601: (FIG. 3). A pawl 64 is pivoted on a pin 66 mounted on the blade supporting platform 40, and the pawl is urged against the ratchet wheel by a spring 68.

When the blades are swung counterclockwise 90 from leading station A to the first twisting station B by rotation of sleeve 35, the pawl 64, which moves with platform 41), merely rides along the periphery of the ratchet wheel, while the friction disc 5% (FIG. 2) restrains the post 37 and cam 56 from rotation during this motion. Thus during this part of the cycle, there is relative rotation between the blade opening push rod 55 and the cam 56, and the push rod 55 rides down lobe 56a of the cam 55 onto one dwell portion 560, permitting springs 52 (FIG. 2) to close the blades. When the blades reach the first twisting station 13, pawl 64 (FIG. 3) drops into the notch forming ratchet tooth 60a.

As the blades are swung 180 from the first twisting station E to the second twisting station C, the pawl carries the ratchet wheel 6% with it through an arc of 180". Since the ratchet wheel is secured to post 37, as is the blade operating cam 56, the cam 56 is also moved through an arc of 180. Thus during this part of the cycle there is no relative motion between the blade operating push rod 55 and the cam 56; the push rod remains on a dwell portion 560 of the cam, and the blades remain closed. Since the cam 56 now moves with the blades and hence is turned 180, when the blades reach the second twisting station C, cam lobe 56b occupies the position formerly occupied by lobe 56a, ready for opening the blades on the last stroke of the cycle.

After twisting is complete at the second twisting station C, and when the blades are swung 90 from station C back to the loading station A, the pawl 64 clears tooth 6hr! of the ratchet wheel 6% and slips along the periphery of the wheeel. Again, the friction disc 59 restrains the post 37 and cam 56 from rotation during this motion. Thus, during the return motion of the blades, there is relative motion between the blade push rod 55 and the cam 56, so that near the end of the return stroke, the push rod rides up onto cam lobe 56b to open the blades and release the pit, before the blades reach the loading station. When the blade again reach the loading station, the cam lobe 56b holds them open, ready to receive another fruit.

The mechanism for giving the twisting heads 14 and 16 a partial turn while the fruit is in engagement therewith will now be described. Details of the individual twisting heads are not part of the present invention. The twisting heads illustrated include a rubber lined cup 86 constructed in accordance with the copending application of Vadas, Serial No. 811,410, filed May 6, 1959, and assigned to the assignee of the present application now Patent No. 3,045,732 which issued on July 24, 1962. For further details of the cup, reference should be had to said application.

The twisting heads are driven by individual chain and sprocket drives from the motor shaft 22. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the twisting head 16 is driven by a chain and sprocket drive "7% which connects the motor shaft 22 to the cam wheel 72 of a Geneva drive. Cam wheel 72 indexes the star wheel 74 of the Geneva drive one-quarter turn for each turn of the motor shaft. The star wheel 74 in turn drives a chain and sprocket drive 76 connected to a shaft 78 that mounts the twisting head. The shaft '78 is mounted for both rotary and limited axial movement in a cross bar 80, and the shaft is splinexl to the sprocket of the chain drive 76 to accommodate limited axial motion of the shaft. The shaft is spring urged to its outer position by a compression spring 82, and its outer position is defined by a collar 84 that is secured to the shaft and engages the opposite side of the cross bar 80 from said spring. This mounting of each cup 86 provides yielding pressure engagement with the fruit during twisting, the spring 82 being compressed somewhat during the twisting operation by the blades.

The twisting head 14- is driven by mechanism that is compiementary to that just described for driving the twisting head 16. This mechanism, which appears in FIG. 1, bears the same reference characters as those applied to the drive parts for twisting head 16, with the addition of the subscript a. The Geneva drive parts 72a and 74a are timed so that the twisting head 14 is given a quarter turn while the fruit is held against that head. The amount of rotation imparted to the twisting heads by the Geneva drive is actually determined by the ratio-of chain drives 76 and 76a. A one-to-one ratio is shown, but if more than a quarter turn of the twisting heads is desired, this ratio may he stepped up.

It will be noted that the twisting heads rotate about axes that lie in a common plane which is normal to the plane of action of the blades. Furthermore, the axis about which the blades swing or oscillate is normal to the common plane of the twisting head axes, and the axis of blade oscillation is equidistant from the twisting head axes.

In operation, a fruit is inserted between the open blades while they dwell at loading station A, under control of dwell section 25a of the continuously rotating cam 24. As the cam 24 continues to turn in a clockwise direction (FIG. 4), the ramp section 2512 of the cam 24 engages the roller 26, lowering the rack and acting through the pinion 32 and the miter gears 34, 35 to swing the blades 90 to the first twisting station B. As this motion occurs, the push rod rides down one or the other of cam lobes 56a, 56b, which are alternately presented to the push rod, and on to a dwell portion 560, permitting the springs 52 to close the blades to grip the pit. The cam 5s remains stationary during this motion because pawl 64 is merely pulled free of tooth 60a or 60b, as the case may be, so that the pawl rides along the intermediate smooth portion of the ratchet wheel 60 during this motion. When the blades have been swung to reach the twisting head 14 at the first twisting station B, the pawl 64 drops into one or the other of the notches that form ratchet teeth dtia, dub, and the second dwell section 25c of cam 25 passes along roller 26. During the dwell period of the blades at first twisting station B, Geneva drive parts 72a, 74a give the twisting head 14 a quarter turn, to free one-half of the fruit from the pit. The push rod 55 is in engagement with the mid-portion of one of the dwell sections 56c of the blade operating cam 56 during the first twisting operation, so that the blades remain closed. After the second dwell section 25c of the disc cam 24 clears roller 26, ramp section 2511 of the cam engages the roller and lifts the rack 31), to swing the blades from the first twisting station B to the second twisting station C. During this motion of the blades, the pawl 64 which is in turning engagement with either tooth 60a or 6012 of the ratchet wheel 60, turns the ratchet wheel, the post 37, and the cam 56, so that cam 56 moves with the blades and there is no relative motion between the push rod 55 and the cam. Thus the blades remain closed during the 180 transfer of the blades from the first to the second twisting heads. When the blades reach the second twisting head C, the third dwell section 252 of cam 24 passes along roller 26, causing the blades to dwell at station C. Geneva drive parts 72, 74 give the twisting head 16 a quarter turn to free the other half of the fruit from the pit.

After the third dwell section 25c of the cam 24 clears the roller 26, the ramp section 25 of the cam track engages the roller and lowers rack 30 through one half of its stroke, to return the blades 90 to the loading station A. As the return stroke starts, the pawl 64 slips clear of tooth 60a or 60b in the ratchet wheel, as the case may be, so that during this part of the cycle the cam 56 remains stationary, and there is relative motion'between the push rod 55 and the cam. Thus as the blades approach the loading station A, the push rod 55 rides over cam lobe 56a or 56b, as the case may be, to open the blades and release the pit. The blades come to rest at the loading station in their open condition, ready for another fruit, and as soon as the first dwell portion 25a of cam 24 again clears roller 26, the blades swing to the first twisting station.

As shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 6, the machine just described can be doubled in capacity by installing duplicate pit-gripping units 14 and 16' on the shafts 78 and 78a that mount the twisting heads 14 and 16. A duplicate blade unit 12' is also provided, mounted on a second vertical sleeve and post assembly. The vertical sleeve for the duplicate unit is driven from an extension of shaft 33, which extension turns a duplicate miter gear drive for the second sleeve. Shaft 33 is driven from the same cam 24 (FIG. 2) that turns the first sleeve. Thus in the embodiment of FIG. 6, the blade units 12 and 12' are loaded at stations A and A, respectively; are swung 90 to the first twisting stations B and B; are swung 180 to the second twisting stations C and C, respectively; and are returned 90 to the loading stations A and A, respectively, releasing the pits in transit.

Another form of the invention is illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 7. The pit-gripping unit 12" swings from a loading station A" that lies midway between a twisting head 14" at the first twisting station B", and a twisting head 16" at the second twisting station C". The second twisting station is displaced 90 from the first twisting station. The mechanism of this embodiment is like that previously described except that the drive train (not shown) for the twisting heads includes a direction changing device such as a set of bevel gears 80, to bring an auxiliary drive shaft 78" for twisting head 16 into parallelism with the shaft 78a for twisting head 14", so that shafts 78a and 78" can be driven by the same mechanism that drives shaft 78 of the form of FIGURES 1-5. Also, the disc cam that drives the rack corresponding to rack 30 of the other form (not shown), imparts a shorter stroke to the rack because the total swing of the blades is now only 90. In the form of the invention shown in FIG. 7 the shorter swing of the blades reduces the acceleration and decleration requirements of the cam that swings the blades. In this form of the invention, the blade operating cam will have four lobes and the ratchet wheel will have four teeth spaced at 90 intervals.

While several embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described it will be understood that the apparatus is capable of modification and variation without departing from the principles of the invention and that the scope of the invention should be limited only by the appended claims.

The invention having been described, that which is claimed and described to be protected by Letters Patent 1s:

1. A fruit pitting machine comprising opposed blades for bisecting the fruit flesh and gripping its pit, a pair of twisting heads rotatable about axes lying in a common plane normal to the plane of fruit bisection, means mounting said blades for oscillation about an axis normal to said common plane and equidistant from the axes of said twisting heads, for alternately moving the fruit toward and into engagement with each head, means for holding each head in a predetermined position and preventing rectilinear translation of the head at all times prior to movement of the fruit by said blades into engagement with each head, and means for rotating said twisting heads.

2. A fruit pitting machine comprising opposed blades for bisecting the fruit flesh and gripping its pit, a pair of twisting heads rotatable about parallel axes lying in a common plane normal to the plane of fruit bisection, means mounting said blades for oscillation about an axis normal to said common plane and equidistant from the axes of said twisting heads for alternately moving the fruit toward and into engagement with each head, means for holding each head in a predetermined position and preventing rectilinear translation of the head at all times prior to movement of the fruit by said blades into engagement with each head, and means for rotating said twisting heads.

3. A fruit pitting machine comprising a pair of twisting heads rotatable about axes lying in a common plane, opposed blades for bisecting the fruit flesh in a plane perpendicular to said common plane and gripping the pit of the fruit, means mounting said blades for oscillation about an axis that is normal to said common plane and equidistant from said twisting head axes, means for oscillating said blades about said axis from an intermediate loading position to one twisting head, then to the other twisting head, and then back to the loading position, and means for rotating said twisting heads.

4. A fruit pitting machine comprising a pair of twisting heads rotatable about parallel axes lying in a common plane, opposed blades for bisecting the fruit flesh in a plane perpendicular to said common plane and gripping the pit of the fruit, means mounting said blades for oscillation about an axis that is normal to said common plane and equidistant from said twisting head axes, means for oscillating said blades about said axis from an in termediate loading position to one twisting head, then to the other twisting head and then back to the loading position, and means for rotating said twisting heads.

5. A fruit pitting machine comprising a pair of twisting heads rotatable about parallel axes lying in a common plane, opposed blades for bisecting the fruit flesh in a plane perpendicular to said common plane and gripping the pit of the fruit, means mounting said blades for oscillation about an axis that is normal to said common plane and equidistant from said twisting head axes, means for oscillating said blades about said axis from an intermediate loading position through an arc of to one twisting head, then through an arc of to the other twisting head and then through an arc of 90 and back to the loading position, and means for rotating said twisting heads.

6. A fruit pitting machine comprising a pair of twisting heads rotatable about perpendicular axes lying in a common plane, opposed blades for bisecting the fruit flesh in a plane perpendicular to said common plane and gripping the pit of the fruit, means mounting said blades for oscillation about an axis that is normal to said common plane and equidistant from said twisting head axes, means for oscillating said blades about said axis from an intermediate loading position through an arc of 45 to one twisting head, then through an arc of 90 to the other twisting head and then through an arc of 45 and back to the loading position, and means for rotating said twisting heads.

7. A fruit pittingvmachine comprising a pair of parallel shafts lying in a common plane, a twisting head secured to each end of each shaft, 'twopairs of blades for bisecting the fruit flesh in a planeperpendicular to said common plane and gripping the pit of the fruit, each pair of blades being associated with a twisting head at the end of each of said shafts and mounetd for movement about an axis that is normal to said common plane from a position adjacent one head to a position adjacent the other head, and means for oscillating each of said pairs of blades about its axis from an intermediate loading position to one of said twisting heads, then to the other head, and then back to the loading position, and means for rotating said heads.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A FRUIT PITTING MACHINE COMPRISING OPPOSED BLADES FOR BISECTING THE FRUIT FLESH AND GRIPPING ITS PIT, A PAIR OF TWISTING HEADS ROTATABLE ABOUT AXES LYING IN A COMMON PLANE NORMAL TO THE PLANE OF FRUIT BISECTION, MEANS MOUNTING SAID BLADES FOR OSCILLATION ABOUT AN AXIS NORMAL TO SAID COMMON PLANE AND EQUIDISTANT FROM THE AXES OF SAID TWISTING HEADS, FOR ALTERNATELY MOVING THE FRUIT TOWARD AND INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH HEAD, MEANS FOR HOLDING EACH HEAD IN A PREDETERMINED POSITION AND PREVENTING RECTILINEAR TRANSLATION OF THE HEAD AT ALL TIMES PRIOR TO MOVEMENT OF THE FRUIT BY SAID BLADES INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH HEAD, AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID TWISTING HEADS. 